When the Safegaurd falters
by Infancy
Summary: In the grand scheme of things, Sasuke Uchiha's loyalty would likely mean life or death for Konohagakure. But he was still naive, and that meant, even if he was twisted into the hardened, cruel killer Tobi needed, there was the chance he would defect for Konoha. And, well, that just wouldn't do. Prologue is up. Rating may change later on.


POV: Sasuke-centric

_... Was that it?_

The look in his eyes didn't reflect relief nor satisfaction. Nor happiness, anger, sadness, or even a sense of accomplishment. If anything, there seemed to be a trace of relief, but even that felt a bit of a far-fetched conclusion. For all intents and purposes, they seemed... just... _empty_. That was it.

He didn't understand. Was that it? Was it over? His gaze been fixated in front of him, despite his _purpose_ laying dead at his side, finally drifted from the brittle, cracked concrete to the unmoving man that lay motionless next to him. He stared at this man for what seemed to be an eternity, the loud thunderstorm and pouring rain drowning out any sort of thought as he simply stared_. _

His eyes seem fixated on the dead man's two fingers, which were tipped with a thick coat of blood.

The same blood had left a trail on his forehead down to his chin as his older brother _suddenly died_ in front of him, after everything that had happened. After being defeated by this man, cornered against an ill-placed wall, and finally accepting his fate of having his eyes mercilessly ripped out of their sockets by his older brother, Uchiha Itachi had just... died.

It was as simple as that. His body went limp, and after a few parting words, his face fell into the wall and he crumpled on the ground.

Dead.

Was it the injuries he sustained during their battle? Was it some sort of illness that he had succumbed to after the fight? Was it just dumb luck? Or maybe even a higher power feeling pity for him? He didn't know.

But in the end, did it really matter?

His older brother was dead. His clan _avenged_. His mother, father, aunt, uncle... everyone. The deaths of his family were finally avenged, and he took great solace in the fact that his clan could finally rest in peace. It was over. It was _finally over_.

The expression on his face remained unchanged as a drop of rain splashed against the blood stain on his forehead, extending it down towards his eye. A dull pain resided there in his left eye, which in turn began to bleed, giving the impression of a blood tear trailing down his cheek to his chin.

An accurate representation of how he felt right now.

Fatigue had caught up to him long ago, even back towards the battle, but he just now began to turn his attention towards it.

He didn't really care anymore. He could succumb to his weariness, right now, fall over and slowly die whilst unconscious due to his injuries, and he, the last Uchiha, could _finally_ die, along with the tale of the Uchiha clan.

At least, it seemed to be a fitting ending for the warrior clan. The last two remaining Uchiha killing one another off in climax of their battle, that is. The older brother fittingly slain by his younger sibling, the kinslayer's fate catching up to him, and justice being served.

Sasuke would smile had he the energy.

But, alas, he did not. His knees buckled, his body grew heavy, and he accepted this ending. He toppled over next to his dead enemy, his older brother. He turned, and his back hit the ground, hard, knocking whatever wind he had left out of him as he lay in contrast to his older brother.

The rain... it felt good against his body. It was cold, and he seemed hot. The chilling raindrops washed away the hot sweat on his body. He could still feel the heat from **Amaterasu **(Heavenly Illumination) burning around the field of , this was fine. He was as comfortable as he needed to be, and he even felt a little eager to see his family in the after-life now.

Would they be proud of him? He yearned for them in what he thought to be his final hour.

He could die, more than content with himself now.

* * *

POV: Akatsuki-centric

"How beautifully ironic."

"Mmn. Seems a bit poetic, yeah."

Tobi couldn't help but smile to himself as he looked down on the two brothers. They both lay in contrast to each other, their blood pooling around them, slowly seeping from the wounds they'd inflicted on each-other. Mortal enemies on their cold, wet, concrete deathbed.

Well, kind of. Not really mortal enemies, actually. Just siblings. Brothers.

He never really got to experience it like Sasuke, Itachi, or Madara. The older brother-younger brother relationship. It was strong between all of them really. Itachi cared for Sasuke so, so much. And he helped his younger brother come so far, fueling his drive to become powerful for this world. And it worked.

His younger brother was still so naive. It was almost sad. Sixteen and probably one of the most powerful men in the world, and he still had no idea who he even was. Cast into the world with no idea who his family actually was. He just wasn't allowed the bigger picture.

Of course, that'd all change soon. How Tobi longed for the apprenticeship of Sasuke. He'd never admit it out loud, but he was genuinely looking forward to some human contact. Sasuke may be a broody little thing, but he was plenty innocent and compassionate enough to provide some company. And naive, as well.

Tobi couldn't wait to twist Sasuke into the warrior Madara once was.

After all, only Sasuke could really crush Konoha. It just wasn't Tobi's right.

But then again... to be the incarnate of the warrior Madara once was, Sasuke would need genuine drive to destroy Konoha. And if Tobi was going to explain the truth about the clan and Itachi to Sasuke, there's still the chance that the kid would respect Itachi's final wishes and protect Konoha. That just wouldn't do.

It was a dangerous gamble.

Of course, Sasuke was no stranger to the pursuit of revenge. He'd spent some 8 years pursuing it. It'd be hard for him to break out of that lifestyle, and it could very well push him to vow the destruction of the Leaf. But then again... there's no clue as to what he was feeling right now. Aside from pain.

You know, being on the verge of death and all that.

"Zetsu."

"Hmm?"

"Let's leave." Tobi, coming to his conclusion, rose from the crouch he'd been resting in. He looked down on Sasuke, hesitating slightly... no, no he wasn't needed right now. If Tobi took him now, then the gamble would be too great. Sasuke was, alas, compassionate towards his once fellow Konoha-nin. He knew very well that the little avenger was fond of the live he once lived in Konoha. That just wouldn't do.

If he was going to be twisted enough to crush Konoha, then there couldn't be any more naivety or innocence left in the boy. He needed to be cold and ruthless. Tobi could certainly twist the boy, yes, but that too would prove a gamble. And he just wasn't a fan of risking something so important.

Unless Sasuke learned how cold and deceptive Konoha really was, he could very well turn on him later on down the line. Tobi just couldn't have it.

"... aren't you forgetting something?" Zetsu's black and white head turned, half of it involuntarily. White Zetsu looked particularly puzzled.

"No. Let the Konoha-nin take him. If he dies before then," Tobi dropped down from the wall overlooking them. He bent down and gingerly took the Akatsuki ring from Itachi's finger, storing it in an inside pocket of his robe. "well, too bad. But they have a medic and they're on their way now. If we take him, Sasuke will remain foolish, young, and naive. He needs to find out how cruel Konohagakure is the hard way."

"But there's the chance he could grow loyal to the Leaf." Black Zetsu had spoken up, after remaining quiet all this time. "It's a bigger gamble to leave him than to take him with us."

"Well, I don't know," Tobi mused to himself a moment, placing a hand under his chin, stroking the underside of his mask. "He left Konoha once before. I don't doubt he'll do it again. Just wait. He'll get stronger, he still has goals. He'll want to repopulate the clan, remember? And, he'll need to be strong enough to protect said clan. Undoubtedly, he'll grow frustrated with his growth rate in comparison to the Kyuubi again. I don't trust Sasuke not to betray me later for Konoha right now."

"Aah. So you want to solidify his belief that Konoha kept him weak," Black Zetsu contemplated the situation for a moment. True, Sasuke had grown hateful towards his village during his Genin days. He'd likely do it again. "I suppose it's safer than letting him stay with us. What about Itachi?"

"Again, leave him. I'd usually jump on the opportunity to restock on Sharingan," Tobi's head hung towards the corpse of the once renowed prodigy of the Uchiha, "but Sasuke will surely take his eyes later on. I won't be surprised if he wakes up with a Mangekyou after all of this. And with that Mangekyou, he'll read the tablet in the Uchiha shrine and discover the power of the Eternal Mangekyou... and surely, Konoha will wake him up and treat him before doing anything with Itachi's corpse. It'll be his call after they re-instate him as a Konoha nin. Chuunin, most likely, so he'll be clan-head of a non-existant clan. Then he'll have the call on what to do with Itachi."

... would he, though? He wasn't sure if the Root implant would confiscate Itachi. Yes, Sai. Danzo had likely ordered him to confiscate any and all Sharingan that may be left at the scene of battle. But, then again, the Kyuubi had gotten to the Root implant. The emotion-training he once went though had faltered. That, and there were many other ninja on the squad. It'd be hard-pressed for the implant to do anything with the corpse.

"... Yes, we'll leave them both. I've made my decision. Let's go back, Zetsu."

"Mmn,"

And with a swirl of Kamui originating from the eye-hole of Tobi, they'd return home.


End file.
